(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display having wire structures that can repair data line or gate line open and short and a method for manufacturing the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are one of the most widely used flat panel display (FPD) configurations. The liquid crystal display has two panels having electrodes for generating an electric field and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two panels. The transmittance of incident light is controlled by the intensity of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer.
In the most widely used liquid crystal displays, field-generating electrodes are respectively formed on both of the panels, and one of the panels has switching elements such as thin film transistors.
A typical liquid crystal display uses a thin film transistor as a switching element. Data lines and gate lines, which cross each other and define pixels in a matrix array, are formed on the panel on which the thin film transistors are disposed. Further, a pixel electrode, which receives an image signal from the data lines through the thin film transistor and generates an electric field with a common electrode, is formed in each pixel.
In the thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display, a storage electrode line is formed overlapping the pixel electrode via an insulating layer and provides storage capacitance along with the pixel electrode to improve the capacitance of a liquid crystal capacitor.
On the other hand, in the thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display having a panel with pixel electrodes and common electrodes at the same panel and generating an electric field parallel to the panel, a common electrode line connected to the common electrodes and transmitting a common voltage works as a storage electrode line.
However, in manufacturing a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display, the gate lines and the data lines respectively connecting the output terminals of a integrated drive circuit to source and gate terminals of the thin film transistor tend to be damaged by open/short defects. These open/short defects are the main reasons that reduce the yields. Furthermore, costs to repair the open/short defect are expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thin film transistor panels for LCDs having a wire structure such that repairs of wire open/short defects are easy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide wire repair methods for easily repairing gate and data line open/short defects in an LCD manufacturing process.
These and other objects are provided, according to the present invention, by forming a redundant repair line one end of which overlaps the storage wire, and the other end of which overlaps the storage wire or the gate wire of a neighboring pixel column, and the redundant repair line is insulated from and overlaps the common electrode wire at one end and overlaps the gate wire or the storage wire of a neighboring pixel at the other end.
According to the present invention, a gate wire, including a plurality of gate lines formed in a certain direction, and a storage wire, including storage electrode lines formed in the same direction as the gate line, storage electrodes connected to the storage electrode lines and at least one of storage electrode connection portions connecting the storage electrodes of neighboring pixels, are formed. A data wire, including data lines formed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the gate wire and that are insulated from and intersecting the gate wire and the storage wire, is also formed. A redundant repair line that is insulated from and overlaps the storage wire at one end and overlaps the storage wire or the gate wire of neighboring pixel at the other end, is formed as well. A pixel electrode, formed in a pixel having a matrix array defined by the intersection of the gate lines and the data lines, forms a storage capacitor by overlapping the storage wire, and receives image signals through the data line.
Here, storage wire connection portions connecting the storage wires of neighboring pixel may be added.
At this time, the redundant repair lines may be formed by the same layer as the data wire. The storage wire connection portions may be formed by the same layer as the pixel electrode and the storage wires may be formed by the same layer as the gate wire.
In another embodiment according to the present invention, a plurality of gate lines including gate electrodes in a certain direction is formed on an insulating substrate. A common electrode line is formed between two neighboring gate lines. A plurality of common electrodes electrically connected to the common electrode line is formed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the gate lines in a unit pixel. Additionally, a plurality of data wires in a direction approximately perpendicular to the gate lines and intersecting the gate lines are also formed. Furthermore, semiconductor layers on and insulated from the gate lines are formed, a plurality of source electrodes connected to the data line and extended on the semiconductor layers are formed as well, and a plurality of drain electrodes extended on the semiconductor layers opposite to the source electrodes and separated from the source electrodes are also formed. A plurality of pixel electrodes electrically connected to the drain electrodes and in parallel with the common electrodes are formed alternately with the common electrodes, and a redundant repair line simultaneously overlapping the common electrode lines and the gate lines is formed.
In a thin film transistor panel for liquid crystal display according to the present invention, if open/short defects of the gate lines or the data lines occur, the portions of the redundant repair line overlapping the gate wire, the data wire, the storage wire, or the common wire are shorted to repair the open/short defects.